Wind Futures

At a time when the economic and ecological costs of fossil fuels continue to climb, Vineyarders are growing interested in the power of wind.

Following decades of almost no wind power generation on the Island, proposals are starting to pop up across the Vineyard to generate electricity through wind turbines.

In recent weeks, boards in Chilmark and West Tisbury together have approved three new wind turbines, essentially doubling the number of modern turbines now operating on the Island.

Old Houses, Living History

There is something sad about an old house being torn down; it’s like a friendship that suddenly disappears, leaving behind only memories and melancholy.

A Season for Islanders

As the last ripples of summer settle, Islanders come into their own again, our own rhythms no longer so dependent on tending to the visitors. Now we can stay up late watching the whole nine innings, or more. Now we can take time to savor the juicy flesh of the Island’s Tiasquin apples, firm and sweet and just tart enough.

Fall Classic Ends

A junior angler won the 19-foot Boston Whaler. A fisherman whose name has been well known on the leader board through the years won the 2008 Chevy Silverado truck. A husband and wife team who are weighmasters retired. A controversy flared up and just as quickly died down, offering an eye-opening educational moment on a striped bass baiting technique known as yo-yoing. A record number of fish were weighed in.

Fuel-Guzzling Ferry Fares

Rarely has the Vineyard paid such close attention to the price of crude oil as in recent weeks. Through the eyes of the Steamship Authority, which has been preparing its final budget for the coming year, Islanders have watched the price of oil climb from seventy dollars a barrel to eighty, topping out this week at ninety dollars a barrel.

Beacons of History

They stand tall and straight on the horizon, an enduring symbol of the Island’s long and rich maritime history. Viewed from a distance, the Edgartown and East Chop lighthouses convey a sense of strength and of purpose.

Until recently, however, closer looks would have inspired less appreciation.

In the nineteen eighties, the Coast Guard stopped funding the maintenance of the lighthouses. Soon time and weather took their toll on the old cast-iron structures.